I went to the opening of the Halls Of Art XIV at the Hampton Roads Convention Center last night and much to my surprise, I got one of the $1,000.00 purchase awards. I've been wanting to get one of my pieces into their permanent collection for some time. While the award is no where near the total worth of the painting, it is a huge honor to get a piece into their permanent halls of fame. Thank you to everyone who supported my work and helped make this wonderful opportunity a reality.

FYI, this painting was inspired by a photo shot by Sean Davey fine art adventure Photography. I altered it dramatically and also included several symbolic images that are concealed and revealed at the same time. The overall painting is a tribute to Van Goghs "Wheat Field With Crows", famous for its three paths that have been interpreted in many different ways. On the top left of the lip is an abstraction of a bull going to the left. Superimposed on the bull is a horse going right with a very thin elongated head. In the top center of the painting is a ballerina dancing on the lip. There are 3 clear paths going up the face of the wave that lead your eye to the surprises at the top.

Why the animals? They are anologies to how Surfing can be a very bullish sport and the pecking order is fierce at many of the crowded surf spots I frequent. If you watch surfers, they are incredibly graceful and powerful, much like ballerinas performing on the dance floor or horses racing to the finish line to beat the firece power of the lip of the wave from crushing them to pieces or holding them underwater for terminal lengths of time!